Panhel elects new exec board leaders

The Panhellenic Council has elected eight new women to fill its executive board -- including future president and Chi Omega sister Elizabeth Kimmelman.

The College junior, along with the rest of the board, will assume their Panhellenic Council positions on Feb. 2, after the completion of spring rush and bid signing.

"We were really excited with the quality of the women... [and] for the future of the Panhellenic Council," current Panhel President and College senior Alison Ng said.

Until the transition, Ng will remain head of the Panhel Executive Board, despite her decision to apply for -- and later accept -- alumni status from her sorority, Phi Sigma Sigma, earlier this month.

On Nov. 8, nearly all members of Phi Sig announced their intent to resign from the organization rather than be a part of a "reorganization" effort planned by the national office to combat low membership numbers.

The acceptance of alumni status officially defines Ng and current Secretary and fellow Phi Sig sister Laura Harris as inactive sorority members. Regardless of their status, however, neither will be asked to abandon their board positions.

"Ali will stay in office throughout the rest of her term," Office of Fraternity and Sorority Affairs Associate Director Lea Shafer said.

Regardless of the mass resignation, Shafer explained that the sorority's charter still remains on campus. Because the charter is "alive and well," Ng and Harris will not be asked to resign from their leadership positions.

Ng expressed gratitude over the position which Greek officials and members have taken concerning her decision to accept alumni status and remain Panhel president.

"I'm really happy to have the support of OFSA, chapter members and members of the IFC," Ng said.

After Ng completes her term in February, Kimmelman plans to begin working toward her goals for Panhel -- including a move to further integrate individual sorority houses and portray a positive image of Greek life to the outside community.

Through community service-based and Panhel-sponsored events, the College junior hopes to foster such integration between members of each sorority house. By allowing Panhel members to interact regularly with sisters outside their own sororities, Kimmelman hopes to strengthen the ties between individual networks and bases within Panhel and further unite members within the Greek system.

Throughout the next year, the future president also plans to continue Panhel-sponsored events, such as the annual Rena Rowan Ribbon Run and the student-faculty tea.

Ng echoed this sentiment, explaining that during the upcoming term, Kimmelman is "going to carry on [the current board's] work" as well as "implement new programs" of her and the future board's creation.

As the current Women's Issues Committee chairwoman, Kimmelman has past Panhel leadership experience under her belt.

During her term as chairwoman, she has served as a "liaison" between Panhel and Penn groups outside the Greek system such as GUIDE, a student-run group that works to foster positive body image on campus.

Additionally, Kimmelman spearheaded well-attended programs such as "yoga for yogurt" during Greek week and is currently working to compile a Panhellenic cookbook, which would raise money for the Rena Rowan Breast Center, Panhel's central charitable endeavor.

Overall, Kimmelman expressed her enthusiasm for her past experiences with Panhel and the future position of president.

"I'm just... really honored to have gotten this position and to work with the current board," she said.

Along with Kimmelman, next year's board will be composed of Executive Vice President Neha Bansal, Vice President of Recruitment Ashley Alexander, Assistant Vice President of Recruitment Emily Phillips, Vice President of Judicial Affairs Emily Farnesi, Vice President of Publicity K.C. Boback, Treasurer Tracey Gordon and Secretary Alison Bernstein.

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